Sunday, January 07, 2007

Woman mown down by mobility scooter

94 year old may lose leg!

Without fear of raising the hackles of the Jack Nutines of this world, I really consider it is time to start some gentle regulation of mobility scooters. having already made the observation last year in October and November, of the dangerous and reckless manner in which some of these electric scooters are driven it comes as no surprise to learn today that someone has been seriously injured in an accident involving a mobility scooter.

94 year old Margaret Quarrell has been told that her right leg is so badly shattered after the collision that it may have to be amputated. The pensioner was busy shopping in Barking, Essex when she was struck from behind by the mobility scooter which ended up on top of her leg, complete with rider.

Store manager Lesley Bownes, 51, who saw the collision, said:

"The driver was going much too fast. I've seen him before - he parks outside my shop and walks in without sticks or crutches, carries his shopping to the scooter and then off he goes. He doesn't look disabled to me. And he certainly isn't very old."

One of the points I have made in the past is that the ease of access and the ease of use of these scooters is discouraging users from exercising their own legs, effectively harming their blood circulation, weakening major muscle groups, and making their mobility even worse than it was originally.

Whilst progressing myself carefully with my own rehabilitation following an angioplasty I am wary of venturing to the town centre too often after similar incidents with motorized mobility scooters, it is easy for some of us to quickly dodge them, but for the slow or unwary they can be somewhat a hazard!

They have an electric engine, they can be driven on the road, they have wheels, they have lights, they have a warning horn - so does the Toyota Prius. The Toyota requires a driving licence, motor tax, registration, and insurance, these scooters ought to face the same regulation.